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Post by TBT on Mar 21, 2004 19:52:42 GMT -5
Okay, as most of you know I am relatively new to the gun market in comparison to most. I am very new to the 1911 game having bought a Kimber Ultra Carry II several months ago. My question is this; I hear all the time people talking about customizations in regards to the 1911 platform, but I’m not sure where to begin. I want to make my Kimber everything it can be.
What customizations are available for these guns and what does each do for the gun (what the heck is a trigger job anyway?)?
What customizations would you recommend for the Kimber Ultra Carry II?
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 21, 2004 21:18:51 GMT -5
TBT; Custom Modifications to a handgun are usually based on the customer's requirements, but if I were to add anything to a pistol which already has factory installed aftermarket parts, I would go with an accurized and reliabilty package, and maybe a Barsto, Kart, Nowlin, or Wilson Combat Match Barrel. I would also look to add a 30 lpi checkering to the front strap,New Armor Tuff coated pins, frame, and slide. Another small thing to do while it's in the shop is to replace the hammer with the Nowlin "Speed Demon", replace the sear with the EGW Competition, and the Trigger with a fitted Dlask. I would also go ahead and replace the extractor with a Wilson Combat #415, and a #34 ejector to replace the stock one. These are what I would begin to do if I had the options, but for the most part, your Kimber should perform pretty good without any of these modifications. Some Kimbers only require a small amount of spring tweaking, polish, and lube to get them a litte smoother. Some like the titanium firing pins.
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Post by XavierBreath on Mar 21, 2004 22:15:37 GMT -5
Before you do anything, shoot the pistol for a while to determine what you want to do to it. To many times people change things for the sake of change, myself included. The first thing I would add is a metal MSH, but even that is not really necessary. Just shoot it and alter it to fit your needs.
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Post by TBT on Mar 22, 2004 18:12:18 GMT -5
I really do not have a single problem with the way my Kimber shoots. As far as I am concerned, this is by far the nicest gun I have ever owned or ever shot. I was just wondering if I could make it even better … I know I want to replace the sites. I swear, a gun this expensive and it comes with Dollar-Bin sights.
The modifications listed here so far mean little to me though as I have no idea what any of them really “do to a gun”. I know … my ignorance of the sport is mind boggling at times, but I’m learning.
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 22, 2004 18:27:44 GMT -5
TBT; Your thinking is one the right track because I do not think you can do any more to your Kimber than to shoot it, maintain it, and keep a good stock of ammunition. Most people buy into the Kimbers for the simple joy of not being bothered with having to improve an already full packaged pistol, with the options already installed. If one day you want a different Trigger or fire control system, the options will always be available.
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Post by TBT on Mar 22, 2004 18:58:51 GMT -5
That sounds good to me DA. I really am happy with it right now. That is what actually got me thinking about it. You know ... if this gun is tha good now, how good can it be? What am I missing? Sounds like it may be just right the way it is.
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Post by TA on Mar 23, 2004 11:11:01 GMT -5
TBT,
Many guys that tinker with and upgrade their 1911's and other handguns do so because they want to and enjoy doing so. If you are mechanically inclined, you also may enjoy the satisfying feeling of making your pistol better. As others have said, the Kimber is not the best platform, because they are usually already endowed with many upgrades from the factory. A plain jane SA Mil-Spec would be a better and less expensive platform to build on.
If you want to learn more about the mechanics of firearms and how to do some of these things, I recommend AGI's video's. They show you with cut away guns how the inner mechanisms work and what is good and bad about them. It's interesting to watch Bob Dunlap field strip a 1911 in about 3 seconds. I am going to time him the next time I watch it.
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Post by TBT on Mar 23, 2004 16:43:54 GMT -5
TBT, Many guys that tinker with and upgrade their 1911's and other handguns do so because they want to and enjoy doing so. If you are mechanically inclined, you also may enjoy the satisfying feeling of making your pistol better. As others have said, the Kimber is not the best platform, because they are usually already endowed with many upgrades from the factory. A plain jane SA Mil-Spec would be a better and less expensive platform to build on. If you want to learn more about the mechanics of firearms and how to do some of these things, I recommend AGI's video's. They show you with cut away guns how the inner mechanisms work and what is good and bad about them. It's interesting to watch Bob Dunlap field strip a 1911 in about 3 seconds. I am going to time him the next time I watch it. Where can I get these videos? That sounds like something I might be into learning. I'm not sure if I would ever get into smithing myself, but I would be real into learning the ins and outs. |
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 23, 2004 17:01:43 GMT -5
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Post by TBT on Mar 23, 2004 17:52:58 GMT -5
DA rocks ...
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 23, 2004 18:19:51 GMT -5
TBT; It is a good video, but I suggest you have more than one source of learning from. Do not be shy about telling what you would like to know; this is what forums are about. I still have the Functions, Disassembly, and Assembly illustrations of the 1911 that I saved to disc. I only have to fill in the descriptive data. A note worth mentioning is; The Trigger on the 1911 is designed to be in the rearward position while the slide cycles.During this time, the disconnector's engagement with the sear and trigger stirup is disconnected, until the trigger is released, allowing the disconnector to rise, making contact with the sear. One of the most important parts of shooting a 1911 is operating the trigger properly; the gun will cycle faster than a person can shoot it; that is why I prefer lighter triggers with zero take up, and zero over travel. The Dlask trigger has a take up tab adjustment, something all 1911 light triggers should have.
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Post by TBT on Mar 23, 2004 20:05:45 GMT -5
TBT; It is a good video, but I suggest you have more than one source of learning from. Do not be shy about telling what you would like to know; this is what forums are about. I still have the Functions, Disassembly, and Assembly illustrations of the 1911 that I saved to disc. I only have to fill in the descriptive data. A note worth mentioning is; The Trigger on the 1911 is designed to be in the rearward position while the slide cycles.During this time, the disconnector's engagement with the sear and trigger stirup is disconnected, until the trigger is released, allowing the disconnector to rise, making contact with the sear. One of the most important parts of shooting a 1911 is operating the trigger properly; the gun will cycle faster than a person can shoot it; that is why I prefer lighter triggers with zero take up, and zero over travel. The Dlask trigger has a take up tab adjustment, something all 1911 light triggers should have. God DoubleAction … a better question would be what don’t I want to know. Guns are becoming a brilliant new obsession for me and so far I am eternally frustrated with how little I know. Where would I start … The 1911 is my main interest right now. Basically … I have no idea why this gun works, what principles it is founded on, or why it might one day “not work”. I know the basics and very little more than that. I know how to handle the gun, shoot it well, and strip it to clean it. What the parts are … greek to me. I guess where I would start is the basic functionality of the weapon. Parts etc. I’ve avoided the painfully “beginner” questions here for the most part because I didn’t want to frustrate anyone here with the textbook crap that most people have probably known since they were 12 years old. What would I like to know one day? I wouldn’t rule out going so far as building my own or at the very least knowing how if I chose. |
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Post by XavierBreath on Mar 23, 2004 21:12:43 GMT -5
I’ve avoided the painfully “beginner” questions here for the most part because I didn’t want to frustrate anyone here with the textbook crap that most people have probably known since they were 12 years old. Hey! Don't worry about asking beginner questions! They are about the only ones I can answer with any authority! ;D |
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Post by TBT on Mar 23, 2004 23:36:16 GMT -5
Not really that difficult, once you learn how each part functions, and how all form into a working pistol. The slide is the easiest, the frame is the hurdle but still fairly simple.  Are there any good books on the 1911? |
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 24, 2004 19:51:24 GMT -5
Are there any good books on the 1911? Yes; Probably more books on the 1911 than any gun on the planet. Prices range from $5. dollars to around $ 50., with most being around $20 to $30 for the real good ones. One that only costs around $10. is wrtten by R.D. Nye, called "Custom Touches For Your 1911", another for $10. is by Wilson Combat on the disassembly and assembly. Brownell's has alot of these books; also, Patrick Sweeney writes some very good books on the 1911. Layne Simpson has one called, "The Custom Government Model Pistol", which is loaded with information, including disassembly, functions, modications, diagrams, photos, and many other areas covering the 1911. Simpson's book is 639 pages with a cost of around $25 to $30 dollars. Palladin Press or Delta Press carries alot of brochures and publications on the 1911. Bill Wilson wrote one called "The Combat Auto", and several others. AGI is not the only Video available, Wilson Combat has a few, and Clark Custom Guns has at least one. One can build a virtual library, just from copying articles from the magazine periodicals, and putting the pages in a notebook binder, using the clear plastic inserts.
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Post by TBT on Mar 25, 2004 7:12:54 GMT -5
Are there any good books on the 1911? Yes; Probably more books on the 1911 than any gun on the planet. Prices range from $5. dollars to around $ 50., with most being around $20 to $30 for the real good ones. One that only costs around $10. is wrtten by R.D. Nye, called "Custom Touches For Your 1911", another for $10. is by Wilson Combat on the disassembly and assembly. Brownell's has alot of these books; also, Patrick Sweeney writes some very good books on the 1911. Layne Simpson has one called, "The Custom Government Model Pistol", which is loaded with information, including disassembly, functions, modications, diagrams, photos, and many other areas covering the 1911. Simpson's book is 639 pages with a cost of around $25 to $30 dollars. Palladin Press or Delta Press carries alot of brochures and publications on the 1911. Bill Wilson wrote one called "The Combat Auto", and several others. AGI is not the only Video available, Wilson Combat has a few, and Clark Custom Guns has at least one. One can build a virtual library, just from copying articles from the magazine periodicals, and putting the pages in a notebook binder, using the clear plastic inserts. I'm starting my research this weekend ... thanks man! |
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Post by MitchHankSauer on Mar 28, 2004 10:49:16 GMT -5
I have the Layne Simpson book as suggested by DA, it is excellent.
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Post by XavierBreath on Mar 28, 2004 13:55:21 GMT -5
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Post by "DoubleAction" on Mar 28, 2004 15:29:14 GMT -5
Good Choice Xavier; Patrick Sweeney also provides tests results that he conducted on the .460 Rowland conversion barrel and georgia arms .460 Rowland cartridge, using the Wilson CQB frame and slide. This book, with it's 334 pages, is full of information. You can also find it at Delta Press on page 2 of their online catalog. www.deltapress.com The Gun Digest® Book of the 1911 Item # C-9539 $27.95 $24.95 On Sale! This complete guide to the Model 1911 pistol covers maintenance, improvements, ammunition and accessories to maximize performance. More than 700 photos provide detailed identification. Features the test and evaluation results for top semi-custom guns and includes repair tips and how to buy a used 1911. 8.5” x 11”, 336 pages, photos, softcover. |
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Post by TBT on Mar 28, 2004 15:57:13 GMT -5
Wow ... I have a lot of reading to do!
;D
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